Tatarstan Discusses Cooperation With MicrosoftOlga Dergunova, president of Microsoft in Russia and the CIS, met with
Tatar Prime Minister Rustam Minnikhanov on 28 March to discuss the terms
of the future long-term agreement between the software corporation and
Tatarstan's government, RFE/RL's Kazan bureau reported the next day.
Microsoft reportedly offered its services in developing Tatar-language
multimedia software, electronic government portals, teaching Tatar
university students to use the latest information technologies, and
introducing the new copyright system for securing the republic's art and
software packagers. Speaking with reporters after the meeting, Dergunova
asked them to allow three more weeks before announcing concrete results
of the talks.

Tatarstan Cited Among Regions With Relatively High WagesAccording to the "Rossiya" weekly's ranking of average monthly wages in
Russian regions in 2004, North Ossetia had the lowest average wage at
3973 rubles ($141), a 36 percent in increase from 2003, while Tatarstan
was rated 58th out of 89 regions with an average wage of $198, a 22.3
percent increase from 2003. According to the weekly, Bashkortostan was
54th, while Moscow was 68th.

Tatar Cabinet ResignsFollowing President Mintimer Shaimiev's reintroduction as Tatarstan's
president on 25 March, Prime Minister Minnikhanov announced on 28 March
that members of his cabinet are to be considered as acting before the
president appoints the new government, RFE/RL's Kazan bureau reported
the next day. Minnikhanov used the government meeting on 28 March to ask
his subordinates to offer their resignations so that there are less
formalities to deal with in case of a cabinet reshuffle. Minnikhanov
also announced his official resignation. Shaimiev is to name the new
prime minister within one week.

Agriculture Minister Says Bread Price Will Remain StableDeputy Prime Minister and Agriculture Minister Marat Ekhmetov told
Tatar-inform on 29 March that the retail price of bread, which is
considered a serious factor affecting social stability in Tatarstan,
will remain at its present level. Ekhmetov confirmed that the price of
grain is currently low. However, he also said that the new harvesting
season could push up prices of fuel and lubricants for agricultural
machinery, which could cause a spike in grain and bread prices.

Daily Notes Shaimiev's Tendency To Lobby For Tatar InterestsThe monthly rating of Russia's top regional lobbyists published by
"Nezavisimaya Gazeta" on 29 March cited Tatar President Mintimer
Shaimiev as the third major promoter of his republic's interests. Moscow
Mayor Yuri Luzhkov was named in first and Kemerovo Governor Aman Tuleev
was rated 5th.

Islamic College Officially Registered In KazanKazan Islamic College has become the second religious school to be
officially registered as a higher-educational institution with the
republic's Education Ministry, Tatar-inform reported on 29 March. The
college, which has been operating for over two years, is reportedly
popular among students from Russia and CIS countries.

Shaimiev Insists Russia Will Have To Return To Direct Gubernatorial Elections...Tatar President Mintimer Shaimiev told Ekho Moskvy radio on 30 March
that Russia's return to the direct election of regional governors "is
merely a question of time," RFE/RL's Kazan bureau reported the same day.
He said that following the reform abolishing these elections, the Tatar
parliament did not eliminate the republic's constitutional provision on
the election of the republican leader, but rather suspended it. However,
Shaimiev declined to define when exactly direct elections will be
reinstated, which he called a "question as complicated as the weather
forecast." He also said that Tatarstan is not planning to merge with any
other territorial entities of Russia.

...And Outlines Similarities Between Kyrgyzstan And BashkortostanCommenting on the recent dramatic developments in Kyrgyzstan and the
public demonstrations in Bashkortostan, President Shaimiev said in the
same Ekho Moskvy interview that Tatarstan does not need its own
revolution, RFE/RL's Kazan bureau reported the same day. He said
Tatarstan experienced an extremely complicated situation in the early
1990s and "luckily enough, then we managed to find a solution for these
problems." Shaimiev claimed that "Bashkortostan and Kyrgyzstan had no
intangible problems, but they have to be dealt with this way or another."

Tatar Public Center Elects New ChairmanThe Tatar Public Center (BTIU) unanimously elected political analyst and
journalist Telget Bariev its new chairman at its plenary session on 2
April, Tatarinform reported the same day. The forum was attended by 116
delegates, including 51 from Kazan, 53 from Tatarstan's raions, 12 from
Russia's entities, and 51 guests. The session also elected new regional
council comprising more than 50 representatives and a presidium of 14
members. For the past six years, the group has been headed by scholar
Reshit Jegeferov.

Crimean Tatars Oppose Stalin Monument In CrimeaThe deputy chairman of the Crimean Tatars' Milli Mejlis, Refat Chubarov,
contacted Crimean prosecutors to protest a decision by the Livadia
settlement council to erect a monument to commemorate Josef Stalin,
Winston Churchill, and Franklin Roosevelt. The decision passed recently
in an overwhelming 19-1 vote. Crimean Communist leader Leonid Grach
called for a space on the central square in Livadia for the monument,
which is due to be erected by Victory Day celebrations on 9 May. Grach
charged that only "national radicals from the Mejlis" oppose the
monument. A number of Crimean Tatar writers issued a public appeal
against the construction of the monument.

Alleged Hizb ut-Tahrir Supporters Go To Trial In ElmetAn Elmet city court held a hearing on 31 March in the criminal cases
against five local residents accused of distributing materials for the
banned Islamist Hizb ut-Tahrir group, "Kommersant-Volga-Urals" reported
on 2 April. Prosecutors have asked for a minimum of two years in prison
for the defendants. Tahir Sairuzov, Eldar Khemzin, Ildar Shaikhetdinov,
Eduard Nizamov, and Airat Nurullin were arrested by the Federal Security
Service in late 2004 for distributing leaflets and books propagating
Hizb ut-Tahrir and stand accused of inciting national, racial, and
religious hatred.

Sairuzov refused to testify at the hearing, claiming he was tortured.
Defense lawyers argued that literature seized from the accused was not
subjected to expert scrutiny to determine whether it is extremist. The
lawyers also argued there is no evidence that the suspects are Hizb
ut-Tahrir followers.

Compiled by Gulnara Khasanova

WEEKLY REVIEW FROM BASHKORTOSTAN

Election Official Presents Referendum Results...Bashkir Central Election Commission (USK) Chairman Baryi Kinjegulov
told a press conference on 28 March that the 27 March referendum on
the structure of local self-government bodies was held in accordance
with legislation and its results cannot be contested in court, RosBalt
reported on 28 March. Kinjegulov was reacting to opposition statements
on the intention to appeal the referendum results in court. Kinjegulov
said the USK agreed every step during preparations for the referendum
with the legal departments of the Bashkir government and the Russian
Central Election Commission. He added that the complex formulation of
the question proposed for the vote is "legally correct."

Ninety percent of voters backed the system of local self-government
bodies including local councils and city, town, and raion
administrations, Interfax-Povolzhe reported. Kinjegulov said turnout
was 94.5 percent in rural raions, 76 percent in cities and towns, and
63 percent in Ufa. Some 96 percent of rural residents, 88 percent of
city and town residents, and 87 percent of Ufa residents voted in
favor of the proposed system of local self-government.

The order of electing city, town, and raion administration heads will
be determined by January 2006 as is required by federal law,
Kinjegulov said. The law permits three variants, including direct
public elections, electing by councils of deputies and hiring under
contracts. Kinjegulov added that the third variant is the most
suitable for Bashkortostan.

...As Opposition Believes Results Falsified"Kommersant-Volga-Urals" on 29 March quoted the head of the
coordinating council of the united opposition, Ramil Bignov, as
saying, "people were forced to vote for the variant suitable for
authorities by deception." Bignov said the voting results were
falsified since exit polls by the opposition showed that people
thought they voted for direct elections of heads of city, town, and
raion administrations. The question proposed for the referendum asked
whether the electorate agreed to maintain a two-level system of local
self-government bodies including a local town or raion council headed
by a chairman and a local administration led by an administration
head. It did not, however, specify the way of electing or appointing
administration heads. Numerous media outlets mistakenly reported that
the referendum was on voting for direct elections of local
administration heads.

Blagoveshchensk Authorities Shut Down Independent WeeklyBlagoveshchensk city authorities shut down the local independent
weekly "Zerkalo" without giving any formal reason, forcibly evicting
Editor in Chief Veronika Shakhova from the office, the Bashkortostan
edition of "Moskovskii komsomolets" reported on 24 March. According to
the newspaper, "Zerkalo" was the first to report on the violent
December 2004 police raid there. Shakhova denied reports in
Bashkortostan's state media saying that she joined the pro-government
Blagoveshchensk public council that was organized to oppose the
"information war" against local police by the Russian media.

Compiled by Iskender Nurmi

WEEKLY REVIEW FROM IDEL-URAL REGION

Chelyabinsk Oblast Governor Signs Preterm Resignation...Chelyabinsk Oblast Governor Petr Sumin informed President Vladimir Putin that he resigned from his post ahead of schedule according to the amended federal law that abolished direct elections of regional heads, "Kommersant-Daily" reported on 1 April, citing the oblast gubernatorial press service. Sumin won his first gubernatorial elections in 1993 but the Kremlin kept Vadim Solovev, who was appointed by then President Boris Yeltsin in 1991, as governor. In December 1996, Sumin again defeated Solovev and in December 2000 was reelected for a term that expires in December 2005. Oblast legislature deputies have stated their readiness to back Sumin's candidacy for reappointment to the post.

...As Penza Oblast Governor Asked Not To HurryPenza Oblast Governor Vasilii Bochkarev has revoked the request for early resignation he had sent to President Putin, �Kommersant-Daily" reported on 1 April. Bochkarev was asked to wait, as "the presidential administration is very busy." The daily quoted analysts as commenting that the Kremlin still has not determined a candidate to head the oblast. According to the daily, the governor signed his appeal in mid-March but concealed it carefully. Analysts explain this by saying the governor is not sure Putin will submit him as a candidate for governor. State Duma Deputies Igor Rudenskii and Viktor Lazutkin as well as State Duma Deputy Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin are listed as possible candidates.

Three Killed In Military Exercises In Chelyabinsk OblastThree servicemen died and eight were injured during firing exercises in Chelyabinsk Oblast on 1 April, Regnum reported the same day, citing the Volga-Ural Military District's prosecutor's office. The incident was caused by a mine breaking off in a mortar barrel. The three dead were from Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, and Khanty-Mansii Autonomous Okrug.

Tax Official To Represent Mordovia On Federation CouncilMordovia's State Assembly approved the appointment of Federal Tax Service deputy head Aleksandr Smirnov on 1 April as representative of the republic's president to the Federation Council, Interfax-Povolzhe and "Kommersant-Daily" reported on 1 and 4 April, respectively. The position fell vacant after Yukos-RM President Nikolai Bychkov gave it up. According to the daily, the Mordovian president is seeking to rid the republic of being known as close to Yukos.

Public Doesn't Trust Media In Perm OblastAn opinion poll by the Perm Oblast administration revealed that less than half of residents trust information reported by electronic and printed mass media outlets, Novyi region (Perm) reported on 30 March. Administration Social Monitoring Sector head Viktor Burko explained the results with the fact that themes covered by media are of little interest for people. Some 37 percent of people questioned said they are interested in issues of criminality, 33 percent in those of high prices, and 20 percent are concerned with stratification of the population, its division into rich and poor people, and unemployment.

Samara Duma Abolishes Direct Election Of MayorThe Samara city duma passed a new city charter on 31 March under which the Samara mayor will be elected by the city parliament from its deputies, not by the public, "Kommersant-Daily" reported on 1 April. As a result, incumbent Mayor Georgii Limanskii will govern only through July 2006, when his term expires. The amendment was initiated by Limanskii's opponents on the duma, who had been trying to pass it for over six months. In the duma, which was elected in July, 23 deputies are in strong opposition to Limanskii while 10 were considered his supporters. At the last session, two former supporters joined the opposition.

Dormitory Residents Halt Hunger Strike In SamaraOver 20 participants in a hunger strike in the Kryazh settlement near Samara halted the strike on 4 April, Interfax-Povolzhe reported the same day, citing the Samara Oblast government. Dormitory residents held a five-day hunger strike in March after concrete girders fell in it and on 28 March demanded to be moved from the building. The hunger strike was stopped after oblast Health Ministry officials visited the building and guaranteed that the issue will be resolved soon. The governor's reserve fund has allocated 16 million rubles for repairs. Five hundred people, including 200 children, live in the dormitory.

Udmurt Authorities Use Waltzes Against Street Protesters...Some 7,000 demonstrators in Udmurtia's capital Izhevsk demanded on 3 April that the law abolishing in-kind social benefits be annulled and republican President Aleksandr Volkov be dismissed, "Kommersant-Daily" reported on 4 April. Authorities tried to break up the protest by blasting waltzes by Johann Strauss and monologues by satirist Mikhail Zhvanetskii at high volume through loudspeakers on the square but stopped it after participants rushed to storm the Opera and Ballet Theater.

...As Opposition Initiates ReferendumThe Udmurtia's Central Election Commission will consider an appeal on setting up an initiative group to hold a referendum to abolish the post of republican president, Interfax-Povolzhe reported on 30 March. An unidentified representative of the commission told the news agency that the appeal received by commission on 24 March is to be heard within 15 days. The commission has already sent to Udmurtia's State Council an appeal by another initiative group seeking to hold a referendum to maintain direct elections of the republic's head by the public, the source said.

Persecutions Of Muslims Spark ProtestsHuman rights leaders, including Moscow Helsinki Group head Lyudmila Alekseeva and Foundation for Muslim People head Gayar Iskanderov, held a press conference on 4 April in Moscow to protest the persecution of Muslims in Russia, islam.ru reported the same day. Participants criticized the unjustified arrests of Muslims and announced that demonstrations will be organized in the nearest future to protest repression against Muslims. The human rights activists blamed leaders of official Muslim bodies as well, saying a split between the Council of Muftis of Russia and the Central Muslim Religious Board (TsDUM) resulted in the fact that TsDUM representatives began sending denunciations of their opponents to law enforcement bodies.